Charade
by EtrnlPsyche
Summary: BtVSSupernatural Xover: Buffy Summers is once again left by the man she loves, Dean Winchester, only to have him waltz back into her life. Little does he know there's a surprise in store for his return.
1. Prologue: Stranded

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN ABSOLUTELY NO ONE DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH SUPERNATURAL, ANGEL, OR BUFFY. ALL CHARACTERS ARE OWNED BY WHEDON AND KRIPKE. ANY OTHER CHARACTERS YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE ARE OWNED BY ME AND ME ONLY. DO NOT USE THEM.**

_Stranded _

Buffy Summers slowly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, fighting off the chill the swept her body on the warm September night. It was happening all over again. _If I can't see it, it isn't happening_, she told herself over and over. _If I don't see him walk away then he's still here._

"Buffy, look at me please," he pleaded, his voice breaking through the barrier she'd temporarily built, the feel of it rough and broken as his hand reached out to brush her cheek.

She blinked back her tears and opened her eyes, brilliantly green with moisture beneath the dim glow of the street light. "Where do I go?" she breathed quietly, feeling her heart break even more when he tore his hazel gaze away from hers. "Who do I turn to now? This isn't how you said it would be, Dean. You're all I have left, you and Sam. I'm thousands of miles from home and you're just gonna leave me here…"

Dean Winchester flinched at the anger in her voice and pulled his hand back quickly as though he'd been burned. His hand slowly combed through the short spikes of his golden brown hair before scraping across the stubble that covered his jaw. "I'm sorry, Bu…"

"Don't," she hissed. "I trusted you. I let myself go with you and you do this to me?"

He sighed. "I just can't do this anymore. I swore I'd never get in this deep and… it happened so fast with you I didn't…you were different… I wasn't ready for you… There's so much about you that…" he drifted off, trying to look her in the eye but unable to face the hurt that would be staring back at him. "Go back to LA, find Dawn or Giles, hell go find Angel. He seems to…"

"Just don't… Don't talk about Angel, don't say anything else, alright. If you're gonna leave me just go." She held up a hand to quiet him and shook her head in disbelief before pushing past him and slowly making her way to the black Impala that was parked a few yards away.

Dean watched as she knocked on the passenger side window and Sam got out of the car unfolding one long limb after the other until he stood a full foot over Buffy.

Sam ran a frustrated hand through his already disheveled dark hair before reaching out to pull the small blonde into a brotherly embrace. His hands rubbed comfortingly over her back and he pressed a chaste kiss to the crown of her head. "I'll miss you, Buffy," he said softly.

"Me too, Sammy," she choked out, refusing to look into his big brown eyes, knowing the pain she felt would only multiply when she did. He was as much her family as Dawn and leaving them after years at their side was going to be hell. "Keep in touch, k?"

He gave her a slow nod. "Promise."

With a final glance at the younger Winchester, she rubbed a hand over her face before turning away from him, the golden flecks of her hair dancing in the light as she strode with determination back towards Dean only to walk by him without a second glance.

"Buffy…" he called out as she walked away. "Buffy!"

Dean closed his eyes refusing to look up, refusing to watch her disappear from his life. It was his job to walk away. That's what he had planned on doing tonight.

_Why then did it hurt so damn bad?_

"Dean!" Sam called out, his tone barely withholding the anger he held for his brother. "You're a stupid bastard, you know that," he bit out angrily as Dean stalked to the car.

"Shut the hell up, Sam, I'm not in the mood," he bit back, yanking open the door to slide onto the forgiving leather seats of the only true love of his life.

Sam just shook his head and pursed his lips, "Doesn't feel so good does it?"

"I said shut it, Sammy," Dean barked, one final time before the loud growl of the Impala's engine roared to life and the angry voice of James Hetfield echoed through the suddenly cold night air.


	2. Chapter One: Secrets

_Secrets_

_2-years later_

"Dawn!" Buffy called over her shoulder as she came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs and started into the living room in search of her younger sister. "Dawnie?"

A slight thump from behind drew her around to see Dawn stubble sleepily into the room. "What's up?" she managed before being drawn into a full blown yawn as she braced her body against the doorway leading into the living room. "You gone?"

Buffy nodded, patting the trusty bag of goodies at her hip. "If you need…"

"I know, I know," Dawn waved her off. "If I need anything call your cell. If you don't answer try Spike or Angel. If I can't get them bug the hell out of the rest of the Scooby Gang until I can get some help." A sheepish grin from Buffy drew a chuckle from deep within. "You do realize I'm not fifteen anymore right? Twenty-one, I can drink, cuss, smoke, screw, and many other things I'm not even gonna bring up right now."

"As long as you're not doing it while I'm out slaying," Buffy smiled, giving her sister a quick hug before starting towards the door.

Dawn smiled back. "Everything will be fine. Now go kick some demon ass, I'm going back to bed."

* * *

Sam Winchester opened his eyes when he felt the low rumble of the Impala quiet and come to a stop. He had no clue where they were. Dean had been extremely secretive about their plans since leaving San Francisco and unable to keep up the arguing Sam finally decided to sleep until they arrived at their destination.

He never expected to find what he did when he opened his eyes.

A loud grunt and the crash of something large against steel drew his attention. A moment later he sat straight up, nearly slamming his head into the roof of the car. "Dean? What the hell man?"

There was no response as he looked over at his brother, only to find that he wasn't there. A second too late he extracted himself from the car to watch his brother walk up behind the tiny ball of fire he'd walked away from two years earlier.

He was going to get himself killed.

* * *

Dean stalked towards the little spitfire as she kicked the vampire in front of her before swiping his legs from under him and coming down with the thick stake in her hand slamming it into his chest before he exploded in dust around her feet.

"You're better than you were the last time I watched you do that," Dean chuckled, not expecting her to whirl around and cold cock in square in the jaw. "Son of a bitch!"

Buffy glared at him, panting with anger and excitement, the latter of which she couldn't explain.

"Well that's a fine hello," Dean spat bitterly.

"I used my last stake or else I'd give you the hello you really deserve," she returned with equal hatred, before pushing past him to grab her bag off of the ground. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked around quickly only to find Sam hurrying towards them.

"I'm sorry, Buffy, I had no idea we were coming here or I would've warned you," he said as he approached her. "You have to believe me."

She sighed and gave him a short nod before allowing him to pull her into a hug. "You look good, Sam."

"So do you. I like you're hair."

Buffy combed her fingers through the long tangled light brown locks and shrugged. "I let it go back to my natural color," she added "but I lightened it recently so I'm not real sure about it."

"You look great," he smiled sincerely.

"Are you too done sharing hair tips?" Dean barked from behind them only to have two angry stares turn his way. "What? Is this pick on Dean day or something?"

Sam shook his head. "What are we doing here, Dean?"

"Apparently so you can get caught up on what's hot and what's not," Dean smirked in response, his gaze never leaving the flashing hazel eyes of the small woman at Sam's side.

Buffy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, putting all of her weight on her left leg as she stared down the man who'd broken her heart years before. "Why _are_ you here, Dean?"

He shrugged and shoved his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans, the same ones he'd worn for years, the soft denim finally worn enough to fit just right against his strong thighs and his oh-so-perfect ass.

_Shit, don't let your thoughts go there_, she scolded herself. She wasn't going to do this with him again. She'd gotten more than her share the last time around.

Raising her eyes to the sky the faint pink of dawn began to creep across the horizon and she rolled her shoulders suddenly realizing how tired and hungry she was. "I gotta get going. It's getting late and mouths to feed you know the drill."

"Mouths to feed?" Dean asked slighty confused. "Got a house full of slayers again?"

She shook her head. "No. It was good seeing you Sam." She stood on her toes and pulled him down so that she could place a kiss to his cheek and started on her way down the street towards the more respectable part of town.

"Buffy? Look can I at least drive you home?" Dean called out to her, regretting his words the moment she turned and stalked back towards him.

"Now you want to drive me home?! I can walk there in five minutes. You should've offered to drive me home when you left my ass in Fuckstick, West Virginia! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get back here?"

Sam chewed at his bottom lip, wanting to laugh at the incredulous look that crossed his brother's face.

"I… I…" Dean sputtered only to have Buffy shove him out of the way and stalk back to the car.

"I'll let Sammy drive me home. You walk your ass around town until you find your car." She slid into the passenger seat of the Impala without another word and waited as Sam gave his brother a "you deserve it" look before joining her.

She pointed him in the direction of her house and sat quietly before turning to him with a wide-eyed expression. "You haven't told him have you?"

"No," Sam replied, shaking his head. "But he needs to know. It's not right keeping it from him like this."

"He doesn't deserve to know," she pouted, slouching down in the seat as she pointed out the next turn.

Sam sighed understanding her all too well. "That may be Buff, but he has the right."

They pulled to a stop in the drive and got out of the car. Sam followed her to the door his heart pounding only slightly at the wonder of what was waiting on the other side. This house looked so much like the one they'd had in Sunnydale, he couldn't imagine how she'd found it.

Buffy opened the door and stepped aside, pulling her bag over her shoulder to hang it on the coat rack behind the door as she gestured around. "Home, sweet home," she said sarcastically.

"Um, Buffy, this looks… Did your old house just pop up in LA?"

"Yeah, it's weird I know. Angel found it for us. I called him after Dean ditched me and told him I was coming back. He flew Dawn back home from Europe and by the time I got back here they'd found this house."

"Is that okay? Is it weird for you?"

She shook her head. "Oddly no, I needed something familiar."

"Go on in the kitchen, I'm gonna run change. I gotta get out of these smelly clothes."

Sam watched her jog up the stairs before slowly making his way down the hall into the kitchen, following the wonderful smell of pancakes as he side-stepped the unintentional booby traps that seemed to scatter the way.

He paused in the doorway and watched the younger Summers dancing around to a song only she could hear as she poured batter into the pan. She looked different than the last time he'd seen her, of course it had been three years. She'd filled out, that was for sure. She'd finally grown into her features completely and the once straight line of her hips now flared just slightly in a womanly curve.

"Those aren't anchovy pancakes are they?" he asked, startling her for just a moment before she squealed and launched herself into his outstretched arms.

"Sam!" she squirmed, wrapping her arms so tight around his neck it was nearly impossibly for him to breathe. "I'm so happy … Oh my God! Are you alright? Is everything okay? Where's Dean?"

He chuckled. "Everything's fine. I'm fine. Dean's sorry ass is walking. And you're more beautiful that I remember…" his last words were a mere breath as he lowered his mouth to hers.

"Kiss all you want, just move out of the way so my breakfast isn't burned," Buffy remarked dryly as she pushed past them into the kitchen. At least her sister was happy with their new arrival.


	3. Chapter Two: Sweet Sweet Baby

_Sweet Sweet Baby_

The slamming of the front door announced the arrival of one extremely pissed off Dean Winchester, startling the three occupants in the kitchen as well as the one still sleeping upstairs.

Buffy jumped to her feet and darted down the hall past Dean and up the stairs before he had a chance to realize what she'd done so he continued towards the kitchen not paying a bit of attention to the scattering on the floor until his foot slipped from under him and he landed flat on his back.

"Mother fuc…"

A hand quickly covered his mouth and he looked up to find a amused blue eyes of Dawn Summers with her finger to her lips silencing his outburst. "Shh. There are people sleeping you know," she said smartly then helped him to his feet. "Go on in the kitchen. Sam's in there and so are pancakes."

Dean looked over the girl, taking his time to register the changes before an impressed look crossed over his face and he went to join his brother. "You gonna hit that later?" he chuckled, quickly receiving a hand to the back of his head, not realizing that Dawn had followed him. "Ow!"

"He'll be the only one getting anything that's for sure," she quipped as she sat across from them and turned towards the doorway when she heard Buffy start down the hall.

A hurriedly exchanged glance with Sam told her that they should leave the room but she wanted to be there for her sister. This wasn't going to be pretty. At least not if she knew Dean Winchester the way she thought she did.

Dean raised a forkful of pancake to his mouth and looked up as Buffy strode into the kitchen with a little boy on her hip, no older than two from what he could tell. His mouth hung open as he dropped the fork and watched with interest as she placed the little boy across from him, in the high chair that he hadn't noticed before.

"Um…" Dean looked at the others in the room, suddenly noticing the Sam and Dawn had their mouths clamped shut while they watched him intently. "What?"

Sam shrugged and continued to eat as did Dawn.

At least until Dean got a good look at the little boy. He studied the golden brown shading of his slightly long curly hair before watching the expressive green eyes that stared up at him in amazement. When his eyes finally touched on the slightly turned up nose and a mouth that could well be his own he pushed back his stool and strode quietly through the back door.

"Well, that went well," Dawn said with an over-dry tone.

Buffy leaned back against the counter and covered her mouth with her hand, looking between the three remaining people in the kitchen.

"You gonna go talk to him?" Sam asked softly.

"Do I have to? Think he'll forget?"

Dawn gave her a look that said 'grow up and face it' but she didn't feel like growing up and facing it. As a matter of fact, she wanted to go back a few hours and avoid the Winchester boys completely.

Sam offered a sympathetic smile. "What's the worst he can do Buffy? You're not together anymore. He can't drop you on the side of the road. He's already broken your heart. I'd say he's pretty much done the worst."

With a heavy sigh, she nodded and took her time following him outside.

He hadn't gone far, he was sitting on the steps, his hands in front of his face as if in prayer but she knew that was the last thing he was doing. "How old is he?" he asked, his voice startling her. She didn't realize he knew she was there but then again he was a hunter and constantly aware of his surroundings.

"Fifteen months," she replied, easing her way onto the step next to him. With all of the demons she'd faced in her life, facing him with this scared the hell out of her. Dean scared the hell of her. No matter how many times she thought about what he'd done to her and how much he hurt her, she still seemed to love him more than anything in the world, aside from their son. But that was something he never needed to know.

Dean cleared his throat as he looked at her, his expression unreadable but she met his gaze. "Were you ever planning on telling me?"

She shrugged. "I didn't think you'd care. Or want to know for that matter. I know how you are about kids, Dean. I know you never wanted a family because you didn't want to raise kids the way you were raised so why burden you with the truth."

"Because he's my son," he argued roughly, his voice grated with something she didn't recognize. "What's his name?"

Buffy looked down at the wooden stair beneath her feet, suddenly finding interest in a slight imperfection in the grain. "John…"

"What?" He asked, his mouth falling open as he choked on his words. "John?"

She gave him a soft smile. "John Summers Winchester. I thought he should have your last name. Whether you're around or not, he is your son."

Dean smiled at her and she felt as if she would break. Her stomach lurched and before she knew it, he'd reached his hand around to cup the back of her head and pulled her towards him. Their mouths met in tangled heat before she pulled away breathless and weak. "Thank you," he muttered.

"I didn't do anything to be thanked for Dean."

"You named him after my father."

She looked away from him searching for anything to stare into besides those deep hazel eyes that she'd always been able to drown in. "I know how much your father meant to you, it was the least I could do."

He leaned in to kiss her again but she quickly stood. "We're not doing this Dean. If you dropped in for a booty call you came to the wrong place."

"Buf…" 

"No, just listen for once. If you want Johnny in your life, you're welcome to come see him or whatever you like. But that's it. As far as I'm concerned… cross me off the list."

He groaned in irritation as she stalked into the house, closing the door firmly behind her. "Well, I guess I deserve that."


	4. Chapter Three: Ground Rules

Charade: Ground Rules

"Well?"

Buffy lifted her head off of the bar and glared into the knowing brown eyes of her ex. "Well what?" she snapped back.

She'd managed to make it almost an entire day in the house with Dean but after an argument between the two of them at dinner she'd asked Dawn to keep an eye on Johnny and stormed out of the house.

Normally she would've patrolled but that's the first place Dean would look so she headed out for a drink.

Until she ended up at the door of Caritas she hadn't even realized she had a purpose for coming there, but after the day she'd had she needed to talk to Angel.

"How'd he take it?"

"Fine…"

"Then why are you here?" he chuckled motioning for the bartender to bring her something a little less potent.

Buffy propped her head on her hand and stared at Angel. "You're enjoying this entirely too much."

He offered a humored smirk and shrugged. "I'm not enjoying it per say. I just think you should've told the guy when you found out you were pregnant. He's missed out on a lot."

"The last thing Johnny needed was another man around playing daddy."

"But Dean _is_ his daddy."

A quick pout formed on Buffy's lips as she slowly sipped the coke that had been placed in front of her. "You know what I mean. He's got Spike watching him when Dawn's not home, Giles is always hanging around. Xander's ever a source of entertainment. You're there… you know what I mean Angel."

Angel nodded but defended his statement. "A child needs his father Buff. Whether you and he are together or not, Dean has the right. And I know you don't want Johnny going through life wondering about where his dad was when he needed him. Give the guy a chance to be there for him. If he screws up or doesn't want the opportunity it's his loss."

She smiled and place her small palm against his cheek. "What did Cordelia do with your broody side? I miss it when I'm trying to place blame on the rest of the world."

"Come on now," he muttered, quickly looking away. "I still brood, I just save it for life and death situations. I'm not getting any younger. I can't worry with trivial things."

"Yeah, like you've got to worry about wrinkles and aging. I hate you."

Angel kissed her forehead then quickly notified that bartender that Buffy wasn't to be sold anymore alcohol. "You don't hold your liquor, don't think I've forgotten how unmixy that is."

[hr

Dean leaned against the doorway of Johnny's room, barely breathing as he watched him sleep. He didn't know how to process this.

Hours ago he'd been fun-loving, free and single Dean Winchester. Now he was…

Now he was a father.

He inched closer to the bed wanting to touch his fingers to the child's cheek, assure himself that this was real and not some figment of his imagination. He hadn't been around a child this small since Sam was a baby.

"He won't break…" a soft whisper sounded from behind him and he turned quickly to find Buffy leaning against the spot he'd just vacated.

Dean ran a nervous hand across the back of his neck and looked down at the floor. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I'm stealthy like that," she bit out. She didn't like that feeling that was churning inside her. Seeing Dean in Johnny's room like this, it was much too intimate for her liking. And entirely too comfortable. "Where are Sam and Dawn?"

"Bed," he grumbled, motioning towards the clock on the wall with a cock of his head. "It's 2 in the morning. I told Dawn I'd keep an eye on … on Johhny if she and Sam wanted to spend some time together."

"Wait," Buffy squeaked. "They're in the _same_ bed?!"

Dean held his finger up to his lips to quiet her as Johnny rolled over in his bed. "Lets talk in the other room. Don't wake him."

Closing her eyes, she silently scolded herself and preceded Dean out of the room continuing downstairs as he took his time in leaving his son.

"I'm kicking Sam's ass in the morning," she blurted out as soon as he strode into the living room and flopped into the recliner that was at the perfect angle for seeing everything that occurred in the living room, den, and foyer.

"Because Dawn's perfectly innocent in the whole thing? I didn't say they were having sex, I just said they were in bed. You know its perfectly feasible to just lay there holding each other…" he continued, stopping only when her eyes began to burn a whole in him. "Where'd you get off to? I tried to find you… to apologize," he started only to be cut off by Buffy shaking her head.

"Ever take that time to think I didn't _want_ to be found? And it's long past time for apologizing."

Dean rubbed his hands roughly over his face and sighed loudly. "What do you want me to do Buff?"

"Don't call me Buff for one thing."

"You know what I mean…" he pleaded sounding absolutely nothing like the Dean Winchester he'd known and loved all these years. Buffy made him forget that man. She always had. Obviously the time apart hadn't changed anything.

Buffy flipped her hair over her shoulder and shrugged. "I don't know what you can do Dean. You obviously can't turn back time and take back all of the hurt and pain you've caused me in the last two years. Unless, of course, you've managed to meet a demon you keep on speed dial that can do that."

The bitter tone of her voice was like a knife to his chest, twisting slowly back and forth. "I wish I could."

She stood and began pacing the length of the living room. "No you don't."

"Yes, Buffy, I do. You think I never thought about you? You think that night we split was some personal victory for me? I hurt like hell."

"Good, then you know half of what I felt."

"Buff…"

"No. No… How can you possibly expect me to believe that?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I was just hoping…"

"Hope doesn't hold much around me. See, I spent weeks _hoping_ I'd hear from you. Then _hoping_ I could forget you and guess what I got out of that…. You're _freaking_ mini me!"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't. I don't want any sorries. It's too late for that. Just give our son the decency of having a father in his life and I'll forgive you for everything you've done to me. Maybe then we can _try_ to be friends."


End file.
